Drying rack



Jan. 13, 1953 usc 2,625,277

DRYING RACK Filed .July 18, 1949 29 i I i 26 FIG.5

i -J EC A. RAUSCHER INVENTOI? ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 13, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ':"z;;25','27i DRYING RAek Frederic A. Rau'sclier, North Hollywood, Calif. ApplicationJuly18 1949, serial Nu. 1'052385 40mins. (o1.211-s9) or outer wall, which may be folded flat against the wall when not in use. p V

A purpose of the invention is to provide a'drying rack which combines light weight-with great rigidity and with the streng-th required the support of relatively heavy articles such as-wet sheets.

A purpose of the inventioiiis to provide a ing' rack of relatively small compass" which will" support large articles in spaced-relation for free access of air and rapid drying. H 7

A purpose of the invention isto provide any:

ing rack which will conveniently support both large articles such as sheets and table cloths and small articles such as hand towels and handkerchiefs.

A purpose of the invention is to provide acrying rack on which the articles to be dried may readily be placed and from which they may readily be removed without risk of marking or tearing.

The invention may best be understood with reference to the attached drawings and-the'following description thereof, in which Fig. 1 is a plan View of the rack in the projected position, showing a fragmentof asupportingwall in section;

Fig. 2 is aside view of the rack the projected position, also showing in section a fragment-of the supporting wall;

Fig. 3 is a detail, on an enlarged scale, of a preferred means for swingingly supporting the rack at its inner or wide end;

Fig. 4 is a detail showing a preferred means for joining the side arms of the rack at the outer or narrow end;

Fig. 5 is an inside elevation of a fragment of one of the outer side arms H] with a smaller fragment of one of the retainer strips 21 in position in front of the side arm;

Fig. 6 is a cross section through a side arm ID and the portion of the retainer strip 21 which, with ball 30, constitutes the article-supporting clamp, this section being as on the line 66 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a cross section through a side arm l0 and a portion of the retainer strip intermediate clamps, as on the line !1 of Fig. 5, and

Fig. 8 is a horizontal section through side arm,

2 retainer stripand ball; as the line 8 s or Fig.5.

Referring to the eiewings": the frame cf the rack eons-lets of two arms Ill"lll' joined at one end at H and spfead at more er less angle. These suppcarte and spacer at the wide end by a rod I2 passing through brackets" I3 which are screwed or Ta towed to studding memb e' outer or" partition wanor any convenient build: mg.

A preferred metnod of swin attachment the frame-ts the was is: show Fig. 3, which in'ustrates' a fragment of the right hand end.

over" the rod I21 is slipped: a length of tubing or pipe" it sufficient' to span the spa-eebetween the outer iacesof two markets l3, this pipe passing: through holes I 3 drilled in the" webs of the" brackets. Abutting against the ends of pipe [6 are shofter'leiigths I ofp'ip of tubing or greater diameter, whienthus bear against theouter faces of the webs". The" rod is reduced in diameter where it passes through the end of side amt It; as at It, the arm being clamped against the shoulder thus formed-bye; nut l9: Thelengtnofthe intermediate tube" It may be adjustedto" per: mit'a pair of brackets" I 3" re be' centered onstud ding members" of varied spacing, while the lengths of the end tubesll and of rod l2 are adiiist'ed to bring the ends or 'sideiarms H] tothe desired spacing. The rod is free to i'evolv'ewithintubes l6 and H, permitting the rack; to be swung as desired between the horizontal: and the vertical position; while lateral'movement'of the frame is prevented by the abutment of the inner endsof the end tubes against the outer faces of the webs.

The side arms [0 are clamped together at the forward end by one or more cap screws 20, passing through openings 20', and nuts 2 I, with the interposition of thimbl'es 22 as spacers. A thin rod 23 is swingingly attached to a screw eye 24 let into a centrally located studding member and is bent into a hook 25 at its lower end to support the frame in a horizontal position by engaging thimble 22, when required for use o to allow it to rest fiat against the wall when idle.

The arms l0, preferably formed from aluminum or other noncorrosive metal or, optionally, from a hard seasoned wood, are provided with evenly spaced indentations 26 which are narrower and shallower at the lower than at the upper end, as shown in face in Fig. 5 and in section in Fig. 6. A retainer strip 21, somewhat shorter than the intermediate straight portion of the side arm, is fastened to the side arm along its upper edge as by rivets 28 passed through openings 28', and is cut away to leave downwardly projecting tongues 29 located immediately in front of indentations 26. The width of these tongues should be approximately one-half of their center to center spacing. A spherical body 30, as for example a glass marble, is placed in each of the receptacles thus formed, the sphere being just too large to pass out through the restricted lower end of the indentation. The spheres are positioned in the indentations before the retainer strips are riveted to the side arms, and are permanently retained behind the tongues 29.

At times when the drying rack is not in use, hook 25 is disengaged and both the rack and the hook rod are lowered to the vertical position in which they lie close to the supporting wall. When required for use, the rack is raised to the horizontal position and the hook engaged with thimble 22.

The articles to be dried are supported by drawing the edge upwardly between tongue 29 and ball 30 and then downwardly until it is clamped against the tongue by the movement of the ball into the narrower portion of indentation 26. When dry, the work is removed by the reversal of these movements coupled with lateral movement of the folded-over edge.

The various vertically suspended layers of fabric are spaced apart a distance approximately equal to the width of the tongues, permitting free access of air to all wet surfaces and consequent rapid drying. The triangular form of the frame adds materially to its utility for domesticuse, permitting both large and small articles to be suspended at the same time, while the entire area of the frame may be utilized by passing large articles back and forth between and back of oppositely disposed tongues.

I claim as my invention:

1. A drying rack for household linen, comprising: a triangular frame having side arms clamped together at one end and spaced apart at the opposite ends; means for swingingly supporting the spaced ends of said side arms from a vertical fixed surface; fabric supporting clamps arranged in spaced relation on only the inner faces of said side arms and consisting each of a ball vertically movable in a downwardly tapering receptacle, and detachable means for supporting the outer and narrower end of said frame to hold said side arms in a horizontal position.

2. A drying rack for household linen, comprising: two side arms clamped together at one end and spaced apart at the opposite ends to form a triangular frame, said side arms being provided with downwardly tapering indentations on their inner faces; retainer strips afiixed to said side arms, said strips having downwardly projected, rigid tongues spaced from said side arms and overlying and aligned with said indentations to form therewith downwardly tapering receptacles; a substantially spherical solid body permanently and loosely retained in each said receptacle; means for swingingly supporting the spaced ends of said side arms from a vertical fixed surfaca'and detachable means for supporting the narrow end of saidframe with said side arms in the horizontal position.

3. A drying rack for household linen, comprising: a triangular frame consisting of two side arms joined at one end and a rod connecting the opposite ends of said side arms; brackets adapted to be fastened to a vertical wall and perforated to receive said rod and thereby swingingly support said frame; supporting clamps arranged in spaced relation on only the inner faces of said side arms and consisting each of a ball vertically movable in a downwardly tapering receptacle, and detachable means for supporting the outer end of said frame with said side arms in a horizontal position.

4. A drying rack for household linen, comprising: two side arms spaced apart and coupled at one end to form a V-shaped frame; brackets adapted to be fastened to a vertical wall and a rod passing through openings in said brackets and the free ends of said side arms to support said frame and permit it to swing vertically; detachable means for supporting the swinging end of said frame with said side arms horizontal, and a row of supporting clamps arranged on only the inner face of each said side arm to support said linen wholly within the confines of said frame, each of said clamps consisting of a ball vertically movable within a downwardly tapering receptacle.

FREDERIC A. RAUSCHER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 260,197 Hayes June 27, 1882 446,486 Benthuysen Feb. 17, 1891 1,805,419 Schlais May 12, 1931 1,891,463 Yock Dec. 20, 1932 1,944,304 Scarnegie Jan. 23, 1934 1,944,343 Herman Jan. 23, 1934 2,067,833 Edison Jan. 12, 1937 2,205,904 Moore June 25, 1940 

